"Those who don't know history are destined to repeat it."
Edmund Burke. What happened on this Day in History?

Thursday, April 5, 2012

This Day in Southern Africa History: 1900, 5 April - Boer War: Battle of Boshof

1900, 5 April - Boer War: Battle of Boshof
Combat-General Georges-Henri Anne Marie Victor Compte de Villebois-Mareuil, a former commander in the French Foreign Legion, makes a valiant last stand against the British at Boshof and is killed. He tried to attack the nearby railway with a force of 75 foreign volunteers and 11 burghers but was trapped by General Lord Methuen and a force of over 750 and four field-guns. De Villebois-Mareuil's men attempt to escape whilst he makes his stand but are captured.

And other dates:

1652, 5 April
At 2:30 pm Table Mountain is sighted from the Dommedaris, the ship carrying Jan van Riebeeck and his company.

1660, 5 April
Jan van Riebeeck is approached by the Vryburgers (Free Burgers) and prompted to initiate peace negotiations with the local Khoi-Khoi, the Kaapmans.

1881, 5 April
The Treaty of Pretoria is concluded between Britain and Boers, recognizing independence for the Zuid Afrikaansche Republick (ZAR, South African Republic). The Convention of Pretoria, which formalized the recognition of independence was not signed by the British Royal Commission and the Transvaal Trimvirate until 3 August.

1989, 5 April
The US company Air Ground Equipment Sales is the first to be indicted under the US Anti-Apartheid Act, and is fined one million dollars for importing used jet-aircraft engines form South Africa.

1948, 5 April
As riots rage around Cairo, 25 civilians are killed by the Egyptian army.

1953, 5 April
Jomo Kenyatta, the supposed Mau Mau leader, is convicted and sentenced to seven years (through the use of false testimony) in Kenya. Kenyatta and five others are detained at Lodwar, a particularly remote desert army post.

1961, 5 April
UN anti-Apartheid sanctions against South Africa are opposed by the US.

1990, 5 April
President Frank Ravele of the Venda homeland is removed by military coup and replaced as Head of State by Gabriel Ramushwana.

1999, 5 April
Libya hands over two suspects for the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie in 1988. UN sanctions are lifted the following day.

1 comment:

Hello All,The IY's first action occurred on 5 April 1900,when components of the third and tenth battalions were locked in with an energy of outside volunteers under the summon Count Villebois-Mareuil on the farm, 'Tweefontein',south-east of Boshof.A series of strategic blunders headed these remote Boer sympathizers to be encompassed and the Count was murdered.It was a triumph for the IY, however not without misfortunes.Three men were murdered,including two officers.Later, as at Lindley,the Boers would turn out to be a much harder and slippery adversary.~Amy Hicks.